MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

7/18 Minor matters

Brad Snyder hit a pair of three-run homers to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and lead Iowa to a 9-4 win over Oklahoma City Saturday. Jay Jackson picked up the win, giving up one run on seven hits over five innings. He struck out six. Snyder was 3-for-4 and a season-high six RBIs. Welington Castillo also homered, his 10th.

Robinson Chirinos hit his 12th homer but it wasn’t enough as Tennessee lost 5-4 in 14 innings to Montgomery. Steve Clevenger had three hits.

Rebel Ridling hit his ninth homer and Mark Reed his first in Daytona’s 9-4 loss to Ft. Myers. Michael Brenly did get a hit to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.

Robert Whitenack threw seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits, in Peoria’s 5-0 win over Bowling Green. Whitenack struck out four and did not walk a batter. Luis Flores hit his second homer.

Eduardo Figueroa gave up one run on six hits over five innings in Boise’s 10-3 win over Salem-Keizer. Boise totaled 18 hits in the game, including four by Arismendy Alcantara.

Sergio Burruel had two hits and three RBIs in Mesa’s 13-11 win over the Mariners. Jeff Gray, rehabbing from a groin injury, started and gave up one run on two hits over one inning. Austin Reed picked up the win, throwing three scoreless innings in relief.

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